Lines of Pain
by Calai'di
Summary: Yugi and Yami seem like they're such good friends in the show. But is that really true? The truth may surprise you, about them and a couple of other characters as well. RxB, YxM, YYxR, YYxYM, rated for a reason
1. The Mask of Life

Calai'di: Hey guys, guess what. I got another idea! So this is my newest fanfic, and it's set in a completely different universe from what's seen in the manga and anime.

Ratings: Probably R (I wouldn't be surprised by the end)

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh, or it's original plot line, or it's characters (if I did, Bakura would have come back long ago). Or anything that might show up that's already copyrighted by someone else. Can't say waht it is yet, but there might something.

Warning (for the rest of the fic): This is rated R for a reason. There is toture, yaoi, some possible lemons, and most definately a lime or two. But it's mostly rated for the toture. If you can't take it...well, I'm not sure what to do for you.

* * *

Lines of Pain: Chapter One

As Yugi passed over the threshold to the confines of his room, he glanced around nervously and sighed with relief as he saw he was alone. That could quickly change, but for now, he was safe. He cautiously closed the door and walked to his desk, backpack ready to yield his nightly homework.

Yugi had a good reason to be afraid, and that reason was called by an ominous name: Yami. And 'Yami' nearly described him perfectly. It was amazing how everyone believed he was kind and protective of his hikari, even calling him 'aibou' occasionally in public to add to the illusion. In truth, he was almost completely opposite, his protectiveness attributed only to his need of a body to exist, and definitely not out of love for his hikari.

The small boy hissed softly as the desk collided with his wrist, hitting a fresh bruise that resided there. Similar bruises ran up his arms and over the rest of his body, the newest being from the day before. And he didn't doubt that something would happen today.

After about ten minutes of hard-core studying, Yugi decided that maybe Yami would leave him alone today, and he got up to lock the door. He may not always be a good student, but he did like to learn and he didn't like anyone interrupting him when he actually decided to do homework. Imagine his shock when the door was already locked and couldn't be opened. He gave up after a few moments and returned to his desk, hoping the feeling in the pit of his stomach held no relevance. Alas, it only grew bigger as the afternoon wore on.

When the sky starting growing dark outside his window, he decided to go downstairs to get something to eat, but the door still wouldn't open for him. And he was so focused on trying to get the door to open that he didn't notice when a figure appeared behind him, leaning lightly against his desk, staring with amusement at his fruitless efforts.

"That door isn't going to open," Yami said quietly, causing Yugi to jump in surprise. The teen slowly looked around at his yami, who was dangling a key on a string from his fingers, and plastered a fake, easy-going smile on his face to try to block out the fear he felt.

"Hi, Yami," he answered, trying to sound as though he wasn't afraid. Yami frowned at him, almost disgustedly, and placed the key in his pocket as Yugi walked back to his desk and reached around his other for one of his books. He would never dream of asking Yami to move out of the way; he'd done that once and once was enough to know that he never wanted to do that again. As Yugi turned to sit down on his bed, Yami kicked him in the back, and he flew forward and landed painfully on his stomach, the book lodged underneath his ribs. The dark placed his foot on the hikari's back when he tried to get up and forced him back down on the floor.

"You forgot something," he hissed warningly in a tone that would have made Yami Bakura proud. "That isn't the proper way to address a Pharaoh," he added, lifting his foot off of Yugi's back.

Yugi quickly turned around and kissed the toes of Yami's shoes. "I'm sorry, my Pharaoh," he muttered, trying not to let his resentment show in his voice. Ever since Yami had found out about his past, at least the part about being Pharaoh, he'd been worse than ever, rivaling even Kaiba in his arrogance. Not that anyone but Yugi had seen that side of him before.

"Very good. It's about time you started picking that up." Yugi made a move to stand up, but his yami pinned him back down. "Did I tell you to get up yet?"

"No," Yugi whispered, his breathing harsh as his lungs were crushed.

"You can just stay like that until I say otherwise," Yami said, releasing his light to sit on the bed. The hikari stayed crouched on the floor, afraid of what could happen if he moved more than breathing. Yami stared at him for a few moments, then reached into one of the drawers of the desk and brought out a knife; he ran his fingers carefully over it, perfectly aware that Yugi had no idea what he was doing, which terrified the boy so much he was shaking. Yami slowly walked around the trembling boy, savoring the fear he was causing just with his presence; he didn't even have to do anything and his hikari was scared stiff! Well, not exactly 'scared stiff', he was beyond that by now. Yami casually leaned down and whispered in Yugi's ear, "You can stand up now."

Yugi cautiously got to his feet, looking wearily at his dark and the knife in his hand. Now he knew he was in trouble; Yami rarely ever brought that knife out, and it was far less than he himself did. The boy backed up as Yami walked calmly toward him, panicking when his back hit the wall behind him. The eyes that watched the approaching blade grew wider and wider with fright until they threatened to consume his entire face. The last thing Yugi saw before shutting his eyes closed tight was Yami's feral grin and the flashing of a knife before his face. And then he knew only pain, and the house knew only his pained screams as the crazed yami cut his life away.


	2. Torture is how YOU see it

Calai'di: As I said before, this is rated for a reason. This chap as pairings, torture, and a lime. Hurray for RyouxBakura!

* * *

Lines of Pain: Chapter Two

Ryou shrieked in pain, tears forming in his eyes, and then suddenly giggled. "Again, Bakura, again!"

Bakura grinned down at his hikari's back, partially at the new angry red line quickly forming there, among many others, and partially at Ryou's pleasure. Mostly at Ryou's pleasure. The yami brought his hand down again, striking the rope he held down against the boy's skin again; this time it cut through the thin layer and beads of blood formed along the line. Ryou screamed a second time, delight all too apparent in the sound.

"Please, yami, do it again!"

"No, that's enough for tonight," Bakura whispered, tossing the rope to the floor. He smiled as Ryou groaned in disappointment. "Masochist," he accused as he trailed his fingers lightly over the hikari's back.

"Sadist," Ryou answered playfully. He tried to turn over and found that he couldn't move under Bakura's weight. "Bakura! Come on, let me turn over!"

In answer, the yami lowered himself to lie completely on his hikari; he let his tongue brush over the boy's neck, causing Ryou moan with pleasure. "Can't we finish this?" he whispered softly.

"It would be more fun if you let me…turn…over!" With one swift movement, Ryou pushed Bakura off of him and rolled over, landing face down on top of his yami. Bakura smiled and pulled Ryou into a kiss; his fingers drifted down the boy's bare chest to slide under his boxers…and then the doorbell rang. And it rang again, almost five times in a row, and again… Ryou groaned softly and struggled to his feet; Bakura caught his arm as he stumbled and helped Ryou to his feet as he himself stood up.

"Hold on, I'll be right there!" he yelled, eyes scanning the room. He quickly reached down for a pair of sweat-pants and yanked them on, jiggling his leg a bit as his toes got stuck on the elastic at the bottom. Not bothering with a shirt, he quickly headed to the door, Bakura devotedly following, wondering why the person hadn't stopped ringing the bell yet.

"Yes, can I help you?" Ryou asked as he pulled open the door, frowning slightly as Bakura wrapped his arms around his waist. A small body fell into the apartment, kicking the door closed as it fell to the floor. Ryou yelped and dropped down beside it, breaking his yami's grasp, as he realized it was Yugi. "Yugi, what's wrong?" He gasped as Yugi raised his head; bloody streaks ran down his face and from his nose, complimenting quickly forming multi-colored bruises. The shirt the boy was wearing was also torn and bloody, and Ryou could see that every movement was causing him pain.

"Ryou, i-it's Yami…" Yugi whispered hoarsely. "H-help me, please…"

"Bakura, help me pick him up," Ryou ordered, wrapping his arms up under the other boy's armpits. Bakura grabbed his legs and together they carried Yugi to the living room to lay him gently on the sofa, making sure to miss his major injuries. The white-haired hikari looked over his friend's body, his expression turning grimmer by the second.

"Yami, go get the First-Aid kit," he demanded quietly. Bakura, knowing that there was no use to argue, hurried off to the bathroom to fetch the required item. Ryou looked over Yugi's injuries again, a cold expression on his face. Sure, he liked pain, enjoyed it even, and wouldn't be surprised if something like this turned him on…if it was his body. Seeing Yugi like this just reminded him that his ideas were strange and that not many other people would think pain was fun. He smiled as Bakura came back with the First-Aid kit and started cleaning off Yugi's skin.

"Ryou, you're so lucky," Yugi mumbled. Ryou quirked an eyebrow and glanced at Bakura before answering.

"What do you mean?"

"You have Bakura…"

"Uh-huh, and that's supposed to mean…what?" Bakura asked sardonically, looking annoyed that he had to hold the First-Aid kit for Ryou.

Yugi smiled and closed his eyes. "You have a yami that loves you…"

[[[_flashback_]]]

__

"Pharaoh, please stop! You're going to kill me!" Yugi cried, raising his already bloodied arm to block the knife headed for his face, resulting in another deep gash in his skin. "Please…I'm begging you!"

"Well, you don't deserve to live, brat!" Yami replied harshly. He knew that Yugi was probably used to hearing these insults by now, but that didn't stop them from coming out, and the boy's struggles only made him angrier.

"What did I do wrong? You never told me!"

"You don't need to know, runt! Isn't it enough to know that I'm even wasting my time like this?!"

"No," Yugi said, instantly regretting it as he got punched in the gut and then kicked in the head. Stars flashed in front of his eyes as he fought to remain conscious, knowing that he'd only be in more trouble if he fainted before his yami was done. The boy warily got to his feet, staring at the evil spirit in front of him.

Yami smirked and crossed his arms. "You forced me to lose against Jonouchi."

"I wasn't even there!" Yugi exclaimed, dismayed at the trivial reason. "How could I do that?"

The spirit squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. "I…I don't know how! You just did!" And then he started his assault again, giving Yugi no time to ask any more questions.

[[[_end-flashback_]]]

Ryou stared at him, not fully comprehending his words. "Yugi, who did this to you?"

"Yami did."

Bakura and Ryou glanced at each other and then back at Yugi, horror on both of their faces. Neither could imagine yami and hikari not getting along; even Malik and his dark half were friends.

"Your yami…did _this_ to you?" Ryou asked quietly. Yugi only nodded and started breathing deeper, trying to go to sleep. Ryou stared pleadingly up at his yami. "Bakura, we have to do something."

"Like what…and why?"

"Why? Because we're his friends, that's why–"

"Don't you dare start sounding like that bitch Anzu–"

"She's not a…what you said! We have to do _something_ to help Yugi. His yami will kill him if we don't!"

"That is not our problem," Bakura retorted, kneeling down beside his hikari. He took Ryou's chin in his hand and went on: "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Bakura, masochist, remember?"

"All right, let me rephrase that." He kissed Ryou gently and continued: "I don't want you to get hurt if you don't want to."

"See, Ryou?" Yugi's voice startled them, as they'd both thought he was asleep. "That's what I mean. I wish I had a yami like that." Silent tears ran down his face as Ryou bandaged the last injury. The white-haired hikari leaned back on his heels and stared at his friend pensively.

"Maybe you can…"

"Hikari, what are you thinking of?" Bakura asked curiously, only minor irritation showing in his voice.

"I'm thinking that you and Yugi's yami should switch places for about a week–"

"What?!" The yami stared at him like he was crazy. "Do you even realize what could happen if we did that?"

Ryou nodded feverishly and moved so that he was sitting on Bakura's lap. "It won't be that bad, yami. I don't mind pain, so there's not much his yami can do to me, short of killing me and I doubt he'd do that–"

"Yeah, right, when he did something like this to his own hikari–"

"–and it would let Yugi relax for a bit without having to fear for his life ever second–"

"Exactly why this is a bad idea–"

"–and we can switch back after a week so you and I won't miss each other too much–"

"Another reason we shouldn't do this–"

"And if Yugi feels like he needs a break again, and it worked out the first time, we can try it again later."

Bakura hugged Ryou close and buried his face into the boy's white hair. "You've got this all worked out, don't you?"

"Mm-hmm."

"And you really want to do this?"

"Well…" Ryou stared at Yugi's still, bandaged form and almost smiled, thoughts of how that must feel running through his mind. "For Yugi, yeah, I do. Should we ask him what he thinks?"

"In the morning, love," Bakura answered, lifting Ryou into the air as he got to his feet. "But I believe we have unfinished business." Ryou giggled as he was carried out of the room, leaving Yugi to fall asleep, thinking about what could happen if they switched yamis.


	3. Memories

Calai'di: Just to clarify the whole "duel with Jonouchi" thing, it wasn't any of the duels we've seen in the show. In fact, it just a trivial duel at school that didn't matter anyway. See how mean Yami is?

More torture, definite yaoi plus a lime, and quite a bit of cursing here.

And if you haven't figured it out yet, I guess this would be classified as an AU. I personally could never (well, maybe not _never_) see Yami being so mean to Yugi. I _can_, however, imagine Ryou as a masochist, so in this story (since it's AU), he's not that far OOC. And Yami's like canon Bakura, and Bakura's like canon Yami. Got it?

* * *

Lines of Pain: Chapter Three__

"Hi!" Yugi said quietly, staring with interest at the figure standing in front of him. He knew that this was most likely the person that caused him to black out at times, but he'd never expected the boy to look so much like him. Or so hot… Yugi shook his head briefly to get those thoughts out, and then smiled back at the figure. "Who are you?"

"I don't remember," the figure said slowly, staring at Yugi with eyes narrowed. His face suddenly lit up and he smirked. "I remember being called 'Pharaoh', though that wasn't my name. Yugi, what's a Pharaoh?"

Yugi blinked with surprise. "The king of Egypt in ancient times. The Egyptians thought the Pharaoh was the incarnation of Horus on earth."

"Then to you, I'm Pharaoh Yami," the figure ordered, an evil grin forming on his handsome face. "But I don't want you to call me by my name. Got it?"

The teen shivered at his other's tone of voice, wondering how it could ever get to be so cold. "Yes, Pharaoh."

[[[_scene-change_]]]

__

"Yugi, brat, get fucking out here and fucking help me!"

Yugi peeked out of his soul room into the hallway between his and Yami's. The spirit was currently in the middle of dueling what appeared to be Kaiba, but he was clearly having a difficult time. Yugi crept through the crack and out into the hallway, shivering slightly.

"Yes, Pharaoh?"

"Tell me how the fucking hell I can beat this damn bastard!" Yami ordered, turning abruptly on his light. Yugi starting shaking like a leaf and stared at nothing, and what Yami saw suddenly appeared to his eyes. Looking down at his hand and then back at the field, he concentrated on the hallway and Yami again.

"M-magical Hats on the D-dark Magician, a-and S-spell-Binding C-circle under o-one of th-them as w-well," he answered bowing slightly. Yami smirked and refocused on the duel, not bothering to thank his host. Yugi stared at him for a few moments and licked his lips, wishing that Yami would think of him as an equal, before slipping unnoticed back into his soul room…

[[[_scene-change_]]]

__

_Knowing he was disobeying every one of his yami's rules, Yugi dashed into the spirit's soul room, searching from room to room for the intruder. How could Yami be so cruel as to lead him on this stupid dangerous game; he didn't even know what room was his 'True Room' himself _(AN: I'm aware that this happened in manga 2, but episode 40 was based on it so this is too)_. But somehow, _his_ legs knew exactly where he was going and he soon arrived at an open room. He heard weird grunting noises from inside and suddenly, he found a giant hole in the ground in front of him with a very strange man–the intruder–hanging inside by his fingertips. Yugi hurried forward and grabbed the intruder's wrist, startling him greatly._

_"Don't worry. I don't know why the spirit from my Puzzle is doing this, but I can't let him hurt you," Yugi said quietly, pulling on the intruder's arm. Slowly, he managed to pull the older man out of the hole and back up onto higher ground…_

[[[_scene-change_]]]

__

"Damnit, stupid, fucking brat, what the hell did you fucking lose to that fucking bitch for?!" Yami exclaimed, throwing the boy against the wall. He'd come out almost as soon as they'd come back from their encounter with Rebecca, and he was pissed as ever.

"Y-you know as w-well as I-I do!" Yugi retorted, earning a hard kick in the head, sending a splash of stars across his vision.

"You didn't have to fucking show her anything!" the spirit yelled, slamming his hand under Yugi's neck and raising him slightly off the floor. The boy gasped and struggled to get free, which only tightened Yami's grip on his neck.

"P-p-please, my Ph-pharaoh!" Yugi gasped, tears streaming down his face. He could barely breathe and couldn't hope to move, as he back was pressed up against the wall. The spirit stared at him, his breath coming in seething pants, eyes smoldering in fury, and abruptly pressed his mouth against Yugi's, forcing his tongue in to play a bit. But before the boy knew what was happening, he'd drawn away and thrown him across the room to hit part of the bed. Yugi stared up at his other anxiously, trying to ignore the pain running through his back.

"Pharaoh, w-why–"

"Shut up! Don't ask stupid questions!" Yami suddenly smirked at the trembling boy and started undoing his shirt. "Are you a virgin, Yugi?"

"Y-yes…" Yugi answered tentatively, wondering what on earth would happen next. And suddenly, Yami was on top of him, forcing himself into the boy again…

[[[_scene-change_]]]

__

_Yugi cautiously glanced back at Yami's sleeping form, aware that he'd be in so much trouble if the dark woke up and he wasn't there. But he had to get help; Yami was unpredictable and extremely dangerous. Yugi could hardly move anything without feeling pain, his beating had been so bad this time, and it had been over such a frivolous matter. He didn't even know _how_ he could have made Yami his duel with Jonouchi; he hadn't been there at all! But Yami blamed him for everything, and his ways of punishment changed as frequently as his moods._

_There was only one thing to do: get help from someone who might understand. He knew only two other people in a situation like his, Malik and Ryou, surely one of them would be able to help. And out of either of their houses, Ryou's was closest, and he didn't like Malik much anyway._

_Glancing back once more at the pharaoh, Yugi crawled slowly out the door, hissing softly as he saw on a clock he passed that the time was 12:15. But knowing Ryou and Bakura, they'd most likely be awake still, doing what he didn't want to imagine. It was no secret that Ryou and Bakura were dating, and had been for several months, and Malik and Merik were soon to follow. Yami seemed to be the only dark that hated his hikari._

_Yugi must have been thinking too hard, but he was snapped out of it as his hand suddenly met air instead of carpet and he tumbled down the stairs…_

* * *

Yugi woke with a start, slightly disoriented as he looked at he surroundings, especially as he heard two laughing voices and the clanking of pots coming from somewhere nearby. But when he tried to sit up, he found that his body seemed to be made of lead; all he could feel or do was breathe quietly and listen to the voices coming from…somewhere. And then he remembered–he was in Ryou's apartment, having crawled there after a particularly bad beating from Yami the previous night. That also explained why his body wouldn't move; it would have hurt too much.

Suddenly, the sounds stopped and Ryou's head appeared over the edge of the couch.

"Oh! You're awake!" Ryou's head disappeared, and he emerged on one end of the couch; he walked around the sofa and to where Yugi's head was, placing a tray of food on the table next to him. "Here. Bakura and I just woke up a short time ago too, but we made breakfast. I bet you're starving."

Yugi felt a twinge of jealousy as he stared at the meal. "Yeah, Yami never lets me eat much." An unidentifiable expression flitted over Ryou's face before he helped Yugi sit up. But as he turned to leave, the smaller boy caught his arm. "Uh, Ryou, I…I heard what you and Bakura were talking about last night," Yugi confessed, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, and I-I think it's a…a good idea."

Ryou smiled and nodded. "Hey, Bakura! Come out here, please!"

"I'm busy eating, hikari!" Bakura yelled back, though he did show up around the end of the sofa, scowling slightly at being bossed around again. But then he smiled and nuzzled Ryou's neck affectionately. "Yes? Do you want something?" he asked suggestively.

"Remember last night–"

"Yeah, so? Your decision, Ryou. You now I don't like it anyway."

"Yugi said yes, yami." Ryou turned and hugged Bakura around the neck, burying his face in the yami's snowy hair. "Meaning that for the next week, _he's _your hikari."

"Huh." Bakura smirked slightly at Yugi and stood up, leaving Ryou on the floor. "I still say it's a bad idea, but whatever. What you want is what you'll get, love." He suddenly leaned down and kissed Yugi lightly on the forehead. "And if you want Yugi treated well, he will be."

Ryou grinned and jumped to his feet, wrapping his arms around Bakura's neck again. "I love you, Bakura."

"And same to you. But don't you think maybe you should go over to Yugi's house now?"

"Oh, right!" He kissed Bakura quickly and headed out of the room. "Have fun, guys!"

"Wait!" Yugi called. Ryou stuck his head back into the room, staring curiously. "What about my grampa?"

"I called your grandfather earlier this morning and explained everything to him," Ryou assured him. "He wasn't sure what I was talking about, but he was okay with you staying over here for a week if it made you feel better. He said that you've been really depressed at home for some reason." With that, he disappeared again, and a short time later, they heard the apartment door bang shut. Yugi turned to stare at Bakura, a little unsure about what had happened.

"So, Bakura, what do we do first?" he asked cautiously, unsure of what Ryou had meant by 'fun'. Bakura scowled at his frightened tone of voice and pointed at the tray of food.

"First, you are going to finish your breakfast. I will not have starving people in my house." Then he smiled and sat down, staring penetratingly at his younger charge. "Then, we can do whatever you want."

Yugi picked up a piece of bacon and stared at it without actually seeing it. "Could we…go see a movie?"

"Sure, I'd like that."


	4. Meeting Yami

Line of Pain: Chapter Four

Ryou nervously approached the door to the Kame Game Shop, and duffel bag slung carelessly over his shoulder. Judging by how injured Yugi had been, and that was probably for something unimportant, Yami most likely wouldn't be in an exceptionally good mood, especially after Ryou told him about the agreement that had been made without the spirit's consent. But he thought of how Bakura would act if he were here, and it certainly wouldn't be like a coward. Carefully, he pushed open the door, hearing the characteristic jingle as it slammed closed, and stepped further into the shop.

"Oh, Ryou, hello!" said Sugoroku Mutou, though he frowned slightly when he saw it wasn't a customer. "Yami's asleep upstairs. Would you like anything to eat?"

"No, thank you, but I already had breakfast. I'll just go upstairs now if it's all right."

Sugoroku nodded once and showed Ryou to where the stairwell was, as the boy had never been here before; Ryou thanked him again and started slowly up the stairs, wondering what would happen if he woke Yami up. He knew Bakura was always pissed off if he got woken up early, and Bakura loved Ryou. But his thoughts of awakening the sleeping spirit were dashed when he got to the room; Yami was sleeping sprawled on his back with the bed sheet only covering half of his body. As Ryou stared, he felt something still in his heart that shouldn't have, but it was enough to keep him from waking the spirit. The real shock happened when he tore his gaze off the slumbering body.

There was blood everywhere! It covered the floor, the walls, even the ceiling! No wonder Yugi had looked so sickly when he'd crawled to his apartment for help. Glancing back at Yami, Ryou saw that the spirit still held a bloody blade in his hand, somehow not falling to the floor out of his loose grip. The boy shivered slightly as set his bag down, then pulled out a chair to face to bed and sat down to wait.

* * *

Yami stirred lazily and opened his eyes a crack, frowning slightly at the amount of light in the room. Squeezing his eyes shut, he growled, "Brat, shut the damn blinds!" He almost smiled as the blinds clanked shut, please that the boy was finally getting it, and opened his eyes. Through the now dim light filtering into the room, he rolled his head to the side and saw–

"Ryou!" Yami sat straight up, his eyes almost as big as Yugi's in his surprise. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

Ryou smiled, got to his feet, and bowed slightly. "Yugi and I decided too swap yamis. I'll be your hikari for the next week."

"You'll _what_?!" Yami was on his feet in an instant, looking the poster image of extreme rage. "That…that little _urchin_…how _dare_ he suggest–"

"Actually, Yami, it was my idea to–" An abrupt kick in the stomach sent Ryou flying into the wall behind him. He smiled and jerkily pushed himself to his feet, wincing slightly at the movement and yet keeping that smile on his face. "I had expected you to be mad."

"You're not….didn't that hurt?" Yami asked, bewilderment evident in both his voice and his expression.

Ryou shrugged and stepped forward a bit. "Yeah, but I've had worse from Bakura. Use to it by now, you know? And I know you're probably angry at Yugi, but if you would just listen–"

"There's nothing to know!" Yami exclaimed, sending Ryou into the wall again. But this time, not only did tears fall from the boy's eyes, but he also laughed cheerfully as he struggled to his feet.

"Why are you laughing?" the pharaoh demanded angrily. He'd never expected anyone to _like_ torture so much, and frankly, it was annoying his sadistic half. "I could have broken every fucking bone in your damn body!"

"Go on then," Ryou answered, smiling slightly at the complete shock that appeared on Yami's face. "I'm your hikari for the week. Feel free to treat me as such."

Yami stared calculatingly at him for a moment, then rapidly smirked and stepped closer. "You're going to regret that."

Ryou gasped as the pharaoh unexpectedly kissed him and forced his tongue in, tasting what his new plaything had to offer. He traced the tip of his knife over the boy's chest, pressing just hard enough to penetrate the cloth. Then, pulling back, he glanced down and asked quietly, "Where did all these scars come from?"

"Bakura," Ryou said simply as he pulled up one of his sleeves to reveal a myriad of other scars the cover his inner arm. "And me."

"Turn around, Ryou."

Yami sliced through the back of Ryou's shirt and smirked at the lines that covered his skin. "So, Bakura really puts you through your paces at home, does he?"

"He…did."

"This one is new," Yami said, trailing his finger over a fresh cut, causing Ryou to wince.

"That's from last night," the hikari whispered, shivering slightly at Yami's touch, though more from the cold of wearing a tattered shirt. The yami smirked at him again and walked back to the bed.

"Well, if you're going to be my hikari, you're going to have to act like it," he stated. Ryou nodded slowly, and Yami continued, "First, any time I enter a room and we're the only ones in it, you're to get on your hands and knees and stay on the floor until I say otherwise." He casually gestured at the floor with one hand, and, taking the hint, Ryou dropped to his knees to demonstrate what he'd just been told.

_I never had to do this for Bakura,_ he thought with a scowl.

"Second," Yami continued, smirking slightly at Ryou's obedience, "to you, my name is not Yami. You are to call me Pharaoh, lord, master; you know, things like that."

"Yes, my Pharaoh," Ryou said, making a disgusted face that Yami couldn't see.

"Third, I am allowed to punish you anytime I want, even if you don't deserve it. Punishment can be anything from a beating to sex. It all depends on my mood that day. Got it?"

"Yes, lord."

"And you are _not_ to tell _anyone_ about your punishments–"

"Excuse my interruption, lord, but both Bakura and Yugi's grandfather know about this now."

"Have you done this before?" Yami asked curiously. "You're quite good at it. Much better than that brat."

Ryou screwed up his face in annoyance, trying to remember what he'd have said to Bakura long ago. "Thank you for saying so, my Pharaoh. I had to do things like this when I first met Bakura."

"And yet now you two are dating," Yami remarked, shaking his head sadly. "I just can't understand how you can like each other. Oh–" he gazed down at Ryou as if he'd just noticed the boy was on the floor– "you can stand up now if you want."

Ryou was instantly on his feet and immediately regretted doing it as he was slammed against the wall again; tendrils of shadow circled around him and pressed him against the wall so hard that he thought his ribs would implode. But he still looked like he was having the time of his life.

"Gods above, what are you?!" Yami exclaimed. With a wave of his hand, he sent Ryou flying into a different wall, but it only made the boy laugh again. "Damnit, are you actually _enjoying_ this?!"

"You want the truth? Yes, I _am_ enjoying this. Bakura never hits me this hard unless I ask–"

"Ask? You _ask_ to be beaten up?" Yami stared at him incredulously, as if this all might be a trick.

"Yeah, though it's usually only when we're…well, never mind. I have a pretty good collection of torture devices at home, anyway."

Yami smirked and released his 'shadow' hold on the boy. Ryou stretched and glanced up to find the spirit the floor so close that they were almost touching.

"Well then, I think I'll 'punish' you right now," Yami suggested, tracing abstract designs on his charge's chest. Ryou felt himself heat as the spirit began kissing his neck, though the kisses were rougher than anything he'd experienced before, and he suddenly realize what this "punishment" was going to be. Yami's lips moved down his chest, tongue slowly tracing over each scar again and again, while his fingers played carefully with the hikari's pants. Ryou gasped as he felt skin quickly brush against his inner thigh, but his protests were silenced by Yami's lips.

"Shhh, let me punish you," Yami ordered, staring up at Ryou with lustful eyes. "And you _will_ have fun."


	5. The Movie Theater

Woot! I had about two corrections for this chap! (and neither of them weres spelling, missing words, or elementary grammer!) Woot!!!  
I sort of steered away from one of my pairings to a different one, but that's okay! It's a better one anyway (at least I think it is).

* * *

Lines of Pain: Chapter Five

As Yugi and Bakura entered the dim movie theater, the yami being loaded down with candy, the boy wondered was he was being treated so well. Bakura had taken him to the zoo and then to lunch, and he'd even been allowed to pick the movie they would see. The yami hadn't said anything unkind or even suggestive, unless it was something about Yami, nor had Ryou been mentioned at all, which was greatly surprising. But as surprising as the day was, it was definitely a welcome break from his heartless, deceiving, abusive yami (AN: sounds like 'Kura, huh?), and he definitely wanted it to last.

Bakura glanced down at the young hikari–who was searching for good seats–thinking something a little different, such as: Damn this stupid "be nice" business! Damn it to hell and back! He may have a soft spot for his hikari, and even Yugi a little bit, but he didn't act this nice even around Ryou. Yugi though…Yugi was a bit different; there was something about him that made it seem necessary to be this nice. He been hurt so much in the past–and by his own yami nonetheless–he would doubtless break if another treated him like that.

"Hey Yug', Bakura!" called a voice from near the center of the theater, dragging them both out of their thoughts. Yugi smiled and led Bakura down a row of seats to four teens sitting at the very center of the theater.

"Hi, Jonouchi!" Yugi said, sitting down next to his friend. Next to Jou was his boyfriend, Seto Kaiba, and then beside him were Malik and Merik.

"Inu–" Kaiba was the only one how could get away with calling him that– "why do _they_ have to sit with us? I'm not in the mood to argue with Yami right now."

"'Cause Yugi and Ryou are my friends," Jou answered, then he turned back to the newcomers and went on, "Where _are_ Ryou and Yami?"

Yugi winced slightly at his yami's name. "They didn't come with us."

When Jou gave him a questioning look, Bakura added, "It's just an experiment we're doing. Nothing to worry about."

"So, Ryou finally ditched you, Bakura?" Malik taunted, leaning forward so he looked over Kaiba's lap. "Or did you two sneak out of the house?"

"Shut up, Malik," Bakura ordered, blushing slightly.

"I take that as a yes. Here, Jonouchi, switch places with me."

Jou scowled at the order, but he complied to some extant, choosing to sit on his boyfriend's lap instead of by Merik. Malik smiled gently as he sat down next to Yugi and placed an arm over the boy's shoulder, trying to pull him closer.

"Hey Bakura, you don't mind, do you?" Malik asked, glancing up slightly.

The yami in question shrugged and shifted the candy on his lap. "Why are you asking me? I'm not the one you're trying to seduce."

Yugi blushed slightly, still trying to push away, as Malik answered, "Yeah, but since you came in together, I figured you were on a date or something."

"Not really," Yugi murmured, finally realizing that he couldn't escape the Egyptian. "I guess I don't mind, Malik."

"Good." Malik pulled him closer and grabbed a few candy bars out of Bakura's lap.

"Malik, you didn't ask _my_ opinion," Merik hissed quietly behind Kaiba's back. Malik grinned and tossed him a candy bar and then made a show of tearing the wrapper off of another one and giving it to Yugi.

"But _you_ know how I feel, Merik," he answered, holding Yugi very close. The boy was quite glad the room was getting darker as he blushed very deeply. He thought that Malik and Merik liked each other, that they'd be going out sometime soon, but from what was happening now, that must not be the case. Well, not for Malik at least. Merik on the other hand…he kept shooting death glares at Yugi for even _talking_ to the other hikari. Maybe he was getting involved in something he shouldn't be involved in.

As soon as the movie started, most of the other boys' attention was turned to it, though it gave Yugi very little room to breath since Malik didn't seem at all interested in what he should be watching. Instead, he was–well, flirting was the only word for it. He never let go of the boy's shoulders, not once, and he didn't seem to like long silences. But even though Yugi didn't really like Malik much, he didn't particularly mind the affection the Egyptian was giving him. In fact, about halfway through the movie, he sort of snuggled up against the taller boy and closed his eyes.

"Are you sleepy, Yugi?" Malik asked quietly, trying not to disturb the others. Yugi smiled and nodded briefly, which just made him cuddle with Malik more.

"A little. Um, Malik…?" He paused, shivering slightly at his next thoughts. "What do you think about Yami?"

"Why? Do you like him or something?"

Yugi noticed there was a slight bit of worry in his voice as he said that. "No, I'm just wondering what you think about him."

Malik frowned and ran his fingers through Yugi's hair. "I don't like the Pharaoh at all." Yugi stared up at him with surprise. "I know he's just acting when he's around you in public. It's really obvious if you watch carefully."

"You mean, you can tell…?"

"Yeah. He…he beats you at home, doesn't he?"

Yugi took a sharp intake of breath when he heard this question; no one had ever seen through Yami's façade, much less uncovered the actual truth…but if Yami ever found out, Yugi would be the one punished.

"I'm not allowed to tell you," he whispered.

"I'd say that's a 'yes'," Malik said quietly. He leaned over and wrapped his other arm around Yugi, pulling the boy into an affectionate hug. "Don't worry, Yugi. I…I'll protect you if you want."

"Malik, um…" Yugi smiled and hugged him back. "Thank you."

* * *

Yugi was asleep by the time the movie was over, so Bakura gathered him up in his arms and sighed, staring forlornly down at the candy bars left in the seat. He was just about to turn away when a tan hand grabbed him by the shoulder and held him back.

"Um, Bakura…." Malik began, glancing cautiously back at Merik.

"What?"

"Do you mind if I…um…if I come with you?"

"Why?"

"Well…." It was clear that Malik wasn't use to telling people about his feelings. He took a deep breath and started again. "I, uh, I want to stay with Yugi."

Bakura smirked and stared down at the small body in his arms. "You know, it's kind of pointless to hit on him if he's asleep."

"I-I'm n-not–"

"No? Seems that way to me. Your emotions are like an open book, Malik." The yami turned his gaze back on his Egyptian friend. "Sure, it's fine with me. Only…"

"What?"

Bakura sighed, silently berating himself for even thinking of what he was about to say. "Listen, Yugi's been hurt. A lot. His own yami beats him at home, he's been picked on by every bully at school numerous times, and his grandfather doesn't even seem to notice it. He doesn't need anyone else to hurt him. So don't try to force him into anything, especially if you can't go through with it. He doesn't need that."

"Wow…" Malik bit his lip, thinking about Bakura's words. "And you know, he's not the only one who doesn't need it." He slid his arms under Yugi next to Bakura's and lifted him up.

"Malik–"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt him. I couldn't…not Yugi. Though I never would have suspected you to be so compassionate."

Bakura scowled at him and picked up the candy bars from his seat. "Shut up. And if you're coming with me, you'd better hurry up."


	6. Day 2

Calai'di– Okay, I know the Japanese have six day school weeks, but I'm changing that in this story (I've noticed many people do). A five-day week just fits better with the story line right now.

And Ryou's not in this chap, sorry, but he'll be in the next one…

Note: Sorry for any grammer/spelling miskakes. My beta-er's computer can't open attatchments right now, so she could beta it for me. I'll probably re-post this later with everything fixed. Goes for next chap too.

* * *

Lines of Pain: Chapter Six

Yugi moaned softly as he woke up, feeling oddly warm and content where he lay. Had the last day and a half been just a wonderful dream? There was no way Yami would agree to a week away from his hikari to be with Ryou instead; it was about as inconceivable that Malik would have a crush on him. That's right, it had all just been a dream, and when he opened his eyes he'd see the floor and walls of his room and Yami would be sleeping in his bed nearby.

So why was it so warm and the floor so soft?

He opened his eyes hesitantly and had to force himself not to yelp in surprise. Well, it wasn't a dream and it was clear as to why he was so warm; he and Malik were curled up on the bed in Ryou's guest-room, and the other boy's arms were wrapped protectively around him. Yugi carefully lifted himself up on his elbow the see the rest of the room and noticed that Bakura was sleeping peacefully in an over-stuffed chair by the door.

Yugi smiled to himself as he lay down again and nestled further into Malik's warmth. His friends were so good to him. And it all hadn't just been a dream. Maybe he really had a chance to get away from Yami…Malik would help him….

* * *

"Hey, Bakura, do you think we should wake him up?" Malik asked later that morning, glancing over his shoulder and into the hallway. He and the white-haired yami were currently in the kitchen making breakfast, which at the moment consisted of coffee and a sticky pancake-batter mess.

Bakura wiped a bit of pancake-mix off his nose as he shook his head and dropped a glob of the batter on a griddle. "No, let him sleep. One, 'cause he needs it, and two, 'cause he's too cute to wake up right now."

"You think Yugi is _cute_, Bakura?"

"Maybe just a bit." Bakura blushed slightly and sat down across from Malik at the kitchen table.

"So, the great Thief King actually thinks someone other than his 'precious, darling, beloved' hikari is cute?" Malik taunted as he took the cup of coffee said Thief King offered him.

"Shut up."

"Just as long as we're clear that he's mine."

"…Whatever. But you'll have to ask him or the Pharaoh about that. I bet that son-of-a-bitch still wants him back. Speaking of which–" Bakura paused, seemingly listening to something, before continuing on a little quieter, "What are we going to do about the Pharaoh? I mean, if he's hurting his own hikari, who knows who else he might harm?"

"Like Ryou?" Malik asked knowingly. When he didn't get a response, he added, "Listen, Ryou can take care of himself. He deals with you twenty-four-seven after all." Bakura growled at this but didn't interrupt. "As to the Pharaoh…if we kill him, he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone anymore."

"How you could be a hikari…" Bakura muttered, shaking his head. "We can't kill him, you dolt! He's a spirit, just like me. And even if we could, do you honestly want Yugi to die as well? 'Cause that's what'd happen."

"Then we kick his bastard ass from here to Timbuktu! Then he'll know he's unwanted and he won't come back."

"Yeah, right, as if that's ever worked before."

"Hey, you wanted a solution, so stop–"

He was interrupted by a small groan from down the hall, followed by a sleepy sounding, "Wh-why is it so cold? Wh-where'd you g-go, Malik?"

Malik giggled a little as Bakura sighed exasperatedly, deciding to stand up and make sure his pancakes wouldn't burn. Yugi appeared in the doorway, still wearing his two-day old clothes and rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Why'd you leave me, Malik? You're really warm," Yugi muttered. Malik noticed that the smaller boy looked as though he was about to fall asleep on his feet, so he jumped up and pulled Yugi into a close embrace.

"I'm sorry, Yugi. I won't leave you again if that's what you want."

Bakura snorted softly behind them, and they heard metal and china clanking together.

"That's okay," Yugi murmured, and he allowed Malik to pick him up and set him on his lap.

"Better, Yugi?" Malik asked quietly. The smaller hikari mumbled something incoherent, but appreciative, as he dozed off with his head against the bigger boy's shoulder.

"Hey, you can't sleep all day," Bakura said as he placed three plates of food down on the table. "You need to eat for one thing. You haven't had anything since yesterday afternoon, and you're too scrawny anyway."

"I guess," Yugi mumbled. He turned slightly on Malik's lap and began to pick at the food on his plate.

* * *

After everyone finished eating, Yugi was a lot more awake and especially hyper, courtesy of pancake syrup and a cup of coffee. Bakura turned his own cup in his hands as watched the hyper hikari talking avidly to Malik, and he realized something–

"Yugi, you don't have any clean clothes with you."

Yugi and Malik stopped talking and stared at him for a few moments before the smaller hikari gasped and buried his face in Malik's chest.

"But then I'd have to go back home!" Yugi exclaimed into Malik's chest. "I can't go back there…."

The platinum-haired boy glared at the yami. "Good going, Bakura! Everything was fine 'till you said that!"

"Yami'll kill me if I go back there! Please don't make me go back! I'll borrow Ryou's clothes or something–"

"No, you won't," Bakura growled. "Besides, his clothes are too big for you."

"Malik, you'll help me, right?" Yugi asked, staring up at his friend with pleading eyes. "I can't go back home; it's not safe!"

Malik thought for a few minutes before standing up quickly with Yugi in his arms. "How about we go to the mall and buy you all new clothes?"

"Really?"

"Sure, we can take my motorcycle and make a day of it. Like…I dunno, a date, I guess."

"A date?"

Malik blushed and put Yugi down gently. "Why not? I doubt you've been on any dates with Yami, and you don't seem to like Bakura very much. No offense," he added to the yami that was standing nearby.

Bakura shrugged. "I have my own hikari, remember?"

"So Yugi…will you go out with me?" Malik asked hopefully.

"If you don't call it a 'date'," Yugi answered, crossing his arms.

"Okay, a…uh…an 'intimate outing' it is then!" Malik seized one of Yugi's arms and pulled him toward the door. Then he stopped and called back to Bakura, "Hey, I'm gonna borrow your motorcycle for a little while, all right, Bakura?"

"Whatever, just bring it back. You don't know how much Ryou spent on that to get it for me."

"I'll have Merik bring it back. See ya!" And with that, the door slammed shut behind them.

* * *

About a half an hour later, the door of the apartment banged open and shut again, and heavy footsteps made their way to the living room where Bakura was currently watching TV. Merik leaned over him and kissed him lightly on the forehead.

"Good morning, 'Kura-chan."

"Your hair is in my way," Bakura greeted, pushing Merik out of the way. The psychotic yami jumped over the back of the sofa and landed next to his friend.

"So, Malik and Yugi went out for the day?" he asked, leaning his head on the other yami's shoulder.

"Yeah, not that I really care. I don't like Yugi or Malik like that. Though–" Bakura regarded his friend curiously– "I'm surprised you're handling it so well."

"Well, Malik and Isis always say 'if you really love someone, let them do what they want' or something. So that's what I'm doing. And besides, I still have you and Ryou."

Bakura glared at him and scooted away towards the other end of the couch. "You won't have me for long if you stay horny like that."

"Sorry…. So why are you so bent out of shape? And where is Ryou anyway?"

The white-haired yami stared forlornly at the TV again. "He's off at Pharaoh's house."

"What?! Why?!"

"Because Pharaoh's been beating Yugi nearly to death and Ryou wanted to relieve him of it for a week–"

"A _week_! Ryou-kun's going to be gone for a _week_?!"

"Yeah, and Yugi's going to be here."

"Nope, that is unacceptable!" Merik suddenly jumped to his feet and pulled Bakura up as well. "We cannot leave our koi in the hands of that lunatic!"

"Merik…not again…."

But Merik was too far-gone to really hear him. "We must mount a rescue mission!"

"Merik, listen to me!" Bakura demanded with enough force to get Merik to look at him. "Ryou went on his own! No one forced him! In fact, I was against it."

"All the more reason to go rescue him! He can't go thinking he has to stay with the _Pharaoh_!" Merik began tugging his fellow yami toward the door. "Come on, Bakura, don't you want to make sure he's all right?"

"Ryou wouldn't like it if we did that…."

"Well, no, but knowing him, he'd get killed before he'd utter a word of protest. Come on, 'Kura-chan!"

Bakura sighed, knowing well that the other yami was right about his hikari's psychological tendencies, and he allowed himself to be dragged out of the apartment.


	7. Shopping and Pharaohs

Note: It may not look like it at first, but Ryou _is_ in this chapter. Just don't skip over everything before that to see him!

* * *

Lines of Pain: Chapter 7

"M-Malik? D-did I ever m-mention that I r-really don't l-like m-m-motorcycles?" Yugi stuttered once they stopped in front of the mall. The Egyptian sighed and helped his friend scramble off of the motorbike.

"It wasn't that bad, Yugi-kun. We were only going ninety kilometers an hour or so."

"That's still r-really f-fast, Malik…"

"I'll slow down next time, okay?" Malik smiled reassuringly down at Yugi and started pulling him enthusiastically towards the building. "Come on, Yugi, let's get you some new clothes. I know this really good shop…."

"…._This_ is the shop you were talking about?" Yugi asked incredulously once they reached the store. He had good reason to been skeptical; it looked more like a Goth nightclub than somewhere to get decent clothing. But Malik wasn't exactly thinking of getting Yugi 'decent' clothing.

"Yup, this is the place. Let's go."

Yugi pulled him back uncertainly. "Are we even old enough to go in there?"

"Sure, Merik and I come here all the time. Come on."

"But Merik looks about five years older that you," Yugi protested as he was pulled into the store. "And I look like I'm about ten…."

"No, you don't. Don't worry, Yugi-kun." Malik waved confidently to a man wearing sunglasses who was sitting behind the front desk as they passed. "Hi, Bran! (1) How are you today?"

"_Croeso_,(2) Ishtar," answered the man called Bran. Yugi was reminded strongly of Ryou; they both looked albino, though Bran was older and had a heavier British-sounding accent. Bran cocked his head slightly as he stared at them. "Merik-san's not with you today? Not exactly the safest thing to do, that is."

"Pah, you worry to much. I'm fine on my own," Malik said, moving slightly so he could see a flash of metal from under his shirt. "Merik's off at Bakura's for the day, probably trying get him in bed again or something. I'm not sure what else they do when they're together." Malik shrugged and began pulling Yugi further into the shop.

"Here now, who is this?" Bran asked to stop him, staring suspiciously at the small hikari.

Malik squeezed Yugi's hand reassuringly, answering "This is Yugi Mutou. He's my new boyfriend."

Bran had an odd look on his face as he lowered his sunglasses a bit, revealing tawny, owl-like eyes. "This is Mutou-san's grandson? There's strange, now. Another boy came in here earlier, looking for something for a 'Yugi'. Looked a lot like him, too." Bran pushed his glasses back up so they covered his eyes again and waved them off. "Go on, then."

Malik smiled and led Yugi to a back corner of the store where the clothes were held and began to look through a rack of pants; Yugi shifted nervously as he watched, feeling as though he was still being watched by the strange man at the desk.

"Malik…who was that?"

Malik answered with out looking back, "Oh, that was Bran; he works here during the day most of the time. He told me he's from Wales or something like that and he's taking night classes at the university. Looks a lot like Bakura, doesn't he?" Malik pulled out two pairs of tight-looking leather pants– one blood red, one black– and handed them to Yugi. "Go try those on."

Yugi blushed but he didn't move. "He, Bran, said that Yami came in here earlier, looking for something for me. What do think he might have been looking for?"

Malik shrugged and pulled out another pair of pants, khaki this time, though he looked more concerned than before. "I don't know, but I don't have a good feeling about it."

Yugi nodded, though he was sure Malik was hiding something, and walked uneasily off to the dressing rooms. When he came back wearing the red pants, Malik quickly had to control himself and keep from getting too aroused.

"Wow, Yugi, those look…um…those look really good on you," he commented nervously, highly aware that his pants seemed to be feeling tighter and tighter.

Yugi blushed and looked at the floor. "Thank. I thought it might, since Yami looks really hot in pants like these." His blush increased when he realized what he'd said. "A-anyway, both pairs are the same size, so they both fit."

Malik nodded silently, not trusting himself to speak, and walked slowly around him, regarding him carefully. Then he placed about fifteen shirts in Yugi's hands and pushed him off towards the dressing rooms again.

When they finally exited the store, Yugi had about ten new 'mix-n-match' type outfits, about two of which could even be considered as school appropriate, and he was wearing his favorite one, the red pants and a very tight black tank-top, plus several bangles and armbands. Malik was very proud of himself, because now Yugi didn't just look really attractive, he looked really, really _hot_, yet that meant he had to try even harder no to get a hard on, and it was becoming an increasingly difficult thing to do as they walked. But he knew perfectly well that Yugi would not appreciate it if he got taken in the mall's bathroom or something, especially right now.

Yugi suddenly grabbed Malik's hand and ran toward a K-mart outpost, muttering something about his clothing under his breath. Malik was unwillingly pulled all the way to the clothes section of the K-mart before Yugi stopped and let go.

"Yugi, why'd you come here? You all ready got clothes. Really good clothes," he added under his breath.

"We're going to get a couple of school uniforms while we're here. There's no way under the rule of Ra that I am going back to my house to get a clean one, and I have school tomorrow."

"Oh. Uh, why can't you just wear that?"

"Yeah, right. And I'll probably get raped on my way to or from or during school," Yugi muttered acidly. Malik felt as though a knife was stabbed through his heart; he had no clue Yugi was that sensitive. "Besides, here in Japan you _have_ to wear a uniform at school, even if it looks really dorky."

"But you _are_ going to keep wearing that, right?" Malik asked hopefully. Yugi shot him a very dirty look and began looking through the different school uniforms.

* * *

"Oy! Baka Pharaoh! Get down here!" Merik yelled as he pounded on the back door of the game shop. "Damnit Pharaoh, open this fucking door right now!"

He continued to pound on the door until a window opened on the second floor and a pale head poked out, stared bewilderedly down at them.

"Bakura?" Ryou whispered, just loud enough to be heard. "Merik? What are you doing here? Where's Yugi?"

"Yugi's on a date with Malik," Bakura answered. "Where's the Pharaoh?"

Ryou fidgeted slightly. "He's asleep. He…um…he had a rough night."

The two yamis sensed that he was hiding something, but there wasn't much they could do to get it out of him.

" Then can you come down here?" Bakura called.

The hikari glanced back into the room nervously. "Well, since he doesn't know any better, I guess so." His head disappeared into the house as the window closed, and a minute or so later, the back door opened and he stepped out into the sunshine and the yamis' waiting arms. They hugged and kissed him over and over, as though if they stopped he would disappear, until he finally pulled away laughing.

"You're going to love me to death, you guys," he giggled fondly. But he wasn't free for long as Bakura pulled him into a tight embrace.

""I missed you so much, Hikari! I told you this was a bad idea!" Bakura exclaimed. He abruptly pulled back and looked over Ryou carefully. "Are you all right? Did he do anything to you?"

Ryou kissed him reassuringly. "I'm fine, Yami-kun. It wasn't anything I haven't been through before, you know." He pulled away and latched onto Merik. "I haven't seen you in so long, Merik! But you didn't tell me why are you two here."

"We're here to rescue you silly. I went to your house today, and you weren't there, so I was worried about you. I've missed you a lot, little koi."

Ryou stared accusingly up at him. "So why haven't you come to see me in ages? I love you, Merik, and I was worried about you, too."

"Oh, that. I was trying to get Malik to join our little group, 'cause I like him and I really think you two would too, but he's in love with Yugi, so it's a hopeless case. But–" he quickly kissed Ryou and opened the door to the game shop– "that made me think of something I want to do. I'll see you two later. Love you." He blew kisses to both of them and closed the door as he stepped further into the shop.

Ryou stared back at his yami with worried eyes. "Now what?"

"Now we wait for a bit, and then we're going home, Bakura answered, staring raptly up at Yugi's bedroom window with a grin on his face. Merik briefly appeared in the window also grinning and waving, and, about a minute later, there was bloodcurdling scream that sounded like Yami from the room, followed by very loud cursing.

"What was that?" Ryou asked quietly, his voice barely heard over the yelling.

"I think Merik just gave Pharaoh the scarring of a lifetime," Bakura answered, still grinning like mad. He placed and chaste kiss on Ryou's lips and pulled him toward his motorcycle. "Come on, we should get out of here."

* * *

After Merik closed the back door to the game shop, he raced up the stairs that were nearby and straight down the hall to Yugi's bedroom. Oh, this would be fun. He smiled evilly when he saw that Yami was indeed sprawled out on the bed, fast asleep. Merik walked silently to the window, waved to Bakura and Ryou, and crept over to the bed; there, he climbed onto the bed and draped his body over the Pharaoh's. He began to run his fingers gently over Yami's chest, relishing the unconscious reactions his was causing in the spirit's body. The Pharaoh was a great deal more attractive than he'd expected, so what he was about to do would be extremely easy.

Yami woke up abruptly to find a warm, exotic tongue expertly exploring his mouth, and the lower half of his body was pinned beneath an equally warm, exotic body. So either Ryou was a hell of a lot more daring than he'd been given credit for, or this was someone else. It was that 'someone else' he didn't want to think of. He hesitantly opened his eyes and saw that it was _not_ Ryou on top of him, but _Merik_! In complete horror, Yami shoved Merik off of him and screamed.

Merik watched as Yami screamed and began yelling obscenities, and he had to try his very hardest not to burst out laughing. Who could have though that being kissed would have that kind of effect on the fearless Pharaoh, who was a bigger whore than any of the other yamis? But after sometime, that shouting began to get on his nerves; something would have to be done to get him to shut up.

The platinum-haired yami got up from where he'd landed and crawled slowly onto the bed, which brought him closer to Yami's screams. Wow, it was a _lot_ louder now. Great. Yami was so caught up with expressing his shock and fear and anger that he didn't notice Merik approaching until the taller yami caught his lips in another kiss. The spirit shot backward, colliding painfully into the wall, staring at Merik with complete anger and confusion.

"Gods, Merik, what the fuck are you doing?!" he exclaimed, trying to back further into the wall as the other yami advanced on him. The pure lust that showed plain in Merik's eyes was frightening.

"Actually, Pharaoh, that's exactly what I'd like to be doing right now," Merik answered as he stopped almost on top of the Pharaoh.

"You're insane. What the hell are you talking about?"

Merik leaned over and whispered lasciviously into his ear, "You are about to find out what it's like to be beaten and raped so harshly that you won't be able to move without pain for three days. To be at the absolute mercy of someone more sadistic, more ruthless, and ten times as clever at conceiving methods of torture than you'll ever be. _My_ mercy."

Yami shuttered involuntarily as the other yami began to bite him harshly; Merik's voice was so beautiful and dangerous at once, and it held the unbreakable promise of extreme suffering as well as pleasure in the near future…but it was still _Merik_ who was advancing on him, being completely dominant. Yami discreetly reached under his pillow and brought out the thing he'd bought for Yugi earlier that morning, making sure it remained hidden from view.

"And what could you possibly teach me that I haven't already learned?" he asked huskily. Merik smirked and grabbed the leather whip that the Pharaoh had been trying to hide from him.

"Everything," he answered, and he claimed Yami's lips again.

**__**

…I…N…S…E…R…T…L…E…M…O…N…_T…H…A…T…C…A…N…N…O…T…B…E…P…O…S…T…E…D…O…N…F…F…N…E…T…_

Merik collapsed, panting, onto Yami's bloodied and broken body and mercilessly pulled him into a very tight embrace, relishing the whimpers this caused. He was extremely aware that he was lusting for Yami's body, and he definitely wouldn't mind fucking the Pharaoh again but for the fact that he was still bleeding severely from what had just been done to him. The spirit fell into an uneasy sleep as the sun set outside the window, whimpering subconsciously anytime he moved at all. Merik smiled at his work, pulled Yami closer, and drifted off as well.

* * *

1) Bran is from _The Dark is Rising_ series, but since that was written a while ago, I made him older here. He's about 23-25 in this.

2) I think this means "welcome" in Welsh. John Rowlands said it to Will in _The Gray King_ and that seemed to be what it meant. That, or hello. Both fit here.


	8. Revelations

Calaidi: I'm sorry this took so long! Please enjoy!

Note: For anyone who's waiting for me to update on HPMI, you won't have to wait for very long (I hope). I've finished chap 21, and although the disk I saved it on won't work any more, I can remember exactly what I wrote, and I will get it up very soon!

* * *

Lines of Pain: Chapter Eight

"Bakura, we're back!" Yugi called as he stepped into Ryou's apartment. Malik walked in behind him, closing the door, and pulled him into a hug.

"Shhh," he whispered when Yugi protested, "just listen." They were silent and soon heard explicit noises coming from Ryou and Bakura's bedroom. From the sounds they were making, Bakura and whoever he was fucking, most likely Merik, were much too far into what they were doing to notice anything but their own pleasure. Malik turned Yugi around and smiled knowingly. "See? I doubt he could even hear you, or care, at the moment."

Yugi smiled back and kissed him lightly. "You're right. Maybe we should let him find out we're home on his own." He broke out of Malik's grasp and started toward the guest bedroom to his things away.

Malik stood stunned in the hallway for a few moments, trying to figure out what had just happened. Yugi had kissed him. Willingly. Without prompting. For the whole day, he'd been under the impression that Yugi liked him only as a friend, but the kiss seemed to hint otherwise. But that also meant Yugi had made the first move, and Malik _hated_ when someone he liked acted dominant. He was not the type of person to be uke.

He followed Yugi into the guest-room and snaked his arms around his boyfriend's waist. "Why'd you kiss me?"

Yugi turned around so he was facing Malik. "Didn't you want me to?" Malik nodded. "Then why are you questioning it?"

"I didn't think you liked me that much," Malik admitted. Yugi giggled and kissed him again, but this time Malik took control and shoved his tongue into Yugi's mouth, exploring every bit of the extravagant taste that he could. Yugi moaned softly and tried to push Malik's tongue out with his own, only to moan again when the taller boy ran his fingers over his back…

"Agh! 'Kura! Not so hard!"

They broke off abruptly, both recognizing that voice. And it definitely wasn't Merik who was yelling.

"Ryou!" they shouted together. Cursing was briefly heard from the other room, and shortly, Bakura appeared in the doorway, stark naked and extremely pissed.

"Do you mind?" he demanded angrily. "I heard you when you came in, but do you _have_ to ruin my fun now?"

"Geeze, Bakura, put something on," Malik grumbled.

"I was right in the middle of something, so I didn't really have time, dumbass!"

"Well, you could put on boxers on something! You're packing down there, ya know?"

"Shut up! Of course I am! I'm right in the middle of something!"

"You could make yourself decent at least. We've got virgin eyes here!"

"'Kura?" came a soft voice from behind the spirit. Ryou also appeared, but he'd had enough sense to at least make himself decent before showing up. "What's going on?"

"Ryou? What are _you_ doing here?" Yugi asked bewilderedly.

Ryou blushed. "Bakura and Merik 'saved me' or something, but then Merik stayed there with Yami for some reason." Ryou's expression grew stormy at the memory. "I'm sorry I didn't notice earlier, Yugi! Your yami is pure evil, I swear. He's worse than Merik was!"

"Ryou, don't talk like that about our koi," Bakura admonished quietly.

"Well, it is true," Ryou whispered back. Then to Yugi he added, "So right now Merik's supposedly punishing Yami for hurting us, I guess." His eyes suddenly widened in surprise and his gaze swept briefly over Yugi. "You know, I just noticed, but...wow...you look really...hot, Yugi."

Yugi blushed slightly and looked away as Bakura added, "Yeah, I was just thinking that...really, really hot...I almost wish...but–" he glanced at Malik's possessive expression and then grabbed his own hikari by the hand– "I have my own hikari to have fun with. And we have business to attend to." He smirked and pinched Ryou's butt, causing the hikari to jump slightly. "Come on, Ryou."

Yugi and Malik smiled as Ryou was dragged off again, and almost immediately after his door closed, they heard him scream again. Yugi shook his head briefly and wrapped his arms around Malik's neck, pulling him closer.

"I never thanked you Malik," he murmured, staring up into the Egyptian's lavender eyes.

"For what?"

"For...well, for caring for me like you have been lately." He glanced sheepishly down at the floor. "No one's ever cared about me like that...except maybe Ryou. But that's recent."

Malik smiled and placed a finger under Yugi's chin, turning his face to look up at him again. "Yugi...of course I care about you. Why wouldn't I care? No one as beautiful and kind as you should ever be hurt."

Yugi blushed but didn't turn away. "No one has ever said anything like that to me...no one's liked me before..."

"Then I guess I'm the first, huh?" Malik commented and he suddenly caught Yugi's lips in a kiss.

* * *

Yami groaned softly as he woke up the next morning, but something yelled at him from the back of his mind not to make a move, and Yami, being the logical pharaoh he was, listened to that voice, instead focusing on his surroundings. There was a pair of arms wrapped tightly around him, a pair belonging to a warm body pressing against his back. The one who was responsible for all his pain at the moment. The one who was responsible for Ryou's disappearance. Merik.

Gods, how he _hated_ that Egyptian. Mind, he was a very good fuck, though a bit sadistic, and Yami wouldn't mind fucking him again...but he still hated Merik. And now Merik was in his bed, sleeping with him. The gods had a very odd sense of humor.

Yami tried to turn over to maybe hit the offending other yami somewhere, like _down there_, only to have to literally bite his tongue to keep from screaming at the pain that shot through his body (AN: it's really not that much; he's just not used to it, the baby). Agh, he was going to kill that Egyptian if it was that last thing he would do alive!

"Pharaoh..."

Yami froze when he heard Merik whisper this and decided to keep quiet and see if the yami would say anything else in his sleep.

"Aishiteru...Pharaoh..."

"WHAT!" Yami screamed, effectively waking his captor. Merik yawned and stretched, and Yami hissed in pain when a hand was brought down heavily on his shoulder.

"Good morning, Pharaoh," Merik murmured cheerily as he carefully petted Yami's hair.

Yami shivered at the touch, more from–well, fear, really– than anything else. "Merik, leave me alone."

"You sure didn't want me to last night–"

"Well, I do now!"

"Pharaoh..." Merik sighed and kissed him lightly on the temple before pulling his arm out from under Yami, eliciting a small hiss of pain from the spirit, and rolling off of the bed. He walked around the bed to the door, stopping in the doorway. "I meant what I said earlier, Pharaoh."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Yami stuttered, thinking he knew what the other yami was talking about.

"Aishiteru," Merik answered before walking out of the room.

* * *

Ryou woke abruptly at the sound of his cell phone ringing and he quickly rolled to answer it so Bakura wouldn't wake up also.

"Moshi, moshi," he answered sleepily.

__

"Ryou?"

"Merik? Where are you? What's going on?"

__

"I'm still at Pharaoh's. I asked Yugi's grandfather for the phone–" Ryou giggled at this, knowing that Merik wasn't telling a highly truthful version of events– _"Listen, I'm staying here for a few days–"_

"What? Why? Come on, Merik, we really miss you."

__

"I know, but this is something a have to do. Is Yugi there?"

"Um...yeah..."

__

"Let me talk to him."

"U-uh, o-okay..." He carefully pulled his arm out from under Bakura and stood up, hissing slightly from the pain this caused in his lower areas. Merik chuckled softly on the other end of the line.

__

"Bakura too rough last night, darling Ryou?"

"Shut up," Ryou muttered irritably, adjusting to his pain. He walked carefully out of the room and down the hall to the guest room, where Yugi was staying. He smiled slightly when he saw that both Yugi and Malik were curled up on the bed, holding each other like teddy bears. He almost didn't have the heart to wake them up, but Merik was getting impatient and Yugi had to be woken up for school anyway. Yugi moaned softly as he was shaken awake and looked sleepily around the room.

"Ryou? What's going on?"

"Merik wants to talk to you," Ryou explained as he handed over the phone. "He didn't say why, though."

"Oh." Then into the phone, Yugi said, "Hello?"

__

"Yugi? Good. I wanted you to know the Pharaoh's all right–"

"Lovely," Yugi commented sarcastically.

__

"That was a poor lie." Yugi rolled his eyes at this. _"Anyway, I'm going to stay here for a while. Please tell Malik."_

"Why are you staying there? Ryou misses you, Merik."

__

"I know. But I've...well, I've grown attached to the Pharaoh." Yugi heard a faint scream in the background, and he winced; he couldn't tell if that had been Yami or his grampa. _"He I've got to go now. Pharaoh needs a bit of help standing up. Tell Ryou I love him."_ There was a soft click as Marik hung up.

Yugi turned off his phone and handed it back to Ryou, smiling bitterly. "He said to tell you he loves you," he said as he stood up. He glanced back at Malik, who was lucky enough not to have woken up, and kissed him on the cheek before wandering over to the closet to pick out an outfit to wear under his uniform.

Merik found Yami lying face down on the floor of his room, whimpering, half covered by one of the soiled bed sheets. He flinched when Merik come closer, causing him to cry out again from the small movement, and he screamed when Merik picked him up.

"P-please leave me a-alone, Merik," Yami pleaded, wincing even at the movement caused by breathing.

"I can't do that. You need my help."

"Just leave me alone. I don't need your help." The Pharaoh struggled slightly to get back to the ground only to scream again and stop.

"I'm sure you don't; that's why you can't move–"

"That is _your_ fault!"

"–So I'm going to help you, out of the goodness of my heart. And as such, I say you need a shower–"

"You're helping me take a shower when hell freezes over!" Yami exclaimed angrily. Merik shrugged and gently placed Yami back onto his feet, pretending not to notice when the spirit fell again with a scream.

"Suit yourself," Merik said, turning to walk away. He was stopped, however, when a shaking arm grabbed his ankle and wouldn't let go.

"Don't leave, Merik…I-I'm sorry…"

Merik tried to kick Yami's hand off, looking more annoyed when a second joined the first. "Why should I stay? You obviously don't want my help; you've already told me."

Yami winced and looked away, eyes filling with tears from the pain of what he was doing. "I-I do n-need your help, Merik. I-I was wrong. J-just…please don't leave me alone…I can't stand being alone."

"I should just leave now and let you have to fend for yourself, the same thing you've done to Yugi day after day," Merik answered coldly.

Yami blanched and fell silent, slowly letting go of Merik's leg as he prepared to be left on his own. He didn't notice when Merik turned around slowly and knelt down next to him, or when the larger yami gently picked him up again. In fact, he was trying not to believe that Merik might have stayed and was helping like he'd wanted; it was too much of a strike to his pride to believe that he needed such help.

"Yami, do you want to take a shower? Or should I put you back on the bed?" Merik asked softly, knowing it would startle the smaller yami.

Yami's eyes flickered open as he flinched away from Merik, hating that he had asked the taller dark to stay. But he answered softly anyway, "I think I would like a shower and some breakfast…"

"I can do that." Merik smiled and kissed the Pharaoh's nose as he headed out of the room and toward the bathroom.

"And you'd better not be planning to fuck me senseless in the shower. I'd like to actually get clean for once…."

"I wouldn't dream of it…"


End file.
